Car-door



F. COPPOLA.

CAR DOOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1921.,

Patented m. 27, 192 1.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- 7E. COPPOLA.

CAR DOOR.

Patented Dec. 27-, 1921.

ZVSHEETS SHEET 2'.

a w \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\w FRANCESCO COPPOLA, OF Eli MIRA, NEW YORK.

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Application filed March 21, 1921. Serial No. 453,875.

To a-ll'whomitmay concern:

Be it known that I, Francesco COPPOLA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Doors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates broadly to improvements in car doors, but it has more particular reference to a novel retainer for the same.

It has been found that in shipping cars, articles inside of the car oftentimes bear against the inner face of the door in such a way as to render it almost impossible to open the door. This being the case, it is oftentimes necessary to entirely remove the door from its hanger before it can be slid open. Sliding of the door'is not only hampered in the above manner, but is rendered difficult when the side of the car body against which it is moved becomes warped and swollen from dampness, thus causing the door to bind. g

It is my intention and the object of this invention to provide a door which is slid-- ably supported from its bottom edge, its opposite edge being detached from the car body so that it can be swung away from the latter to facilitate opening. I then associate with the upper edge of the door, a novel retainer which directly engages the door and is retractable away from the latter to permit this edge ofthe door to be swung away from the car body in caseit is necessary to do so in order to slide the door toopen position; I wish to direct attention to the fact that when the retainer is swung or moved to clear the door,-it is unnecessary to detach it from the car body.

Another and important object of the invention is to provide a retainer which is in the form of an elongated angle lron, thuspermitting it to serve as a weather guard, and as a guide, in addition to serving as a retainer. By employing this particular kind of retainer, free sliding of the door is permitted, and the upper edge thereof is entirely protected, and rotting, caused by exextent.

A further and important object of the invention is to provide a structure which is simple, strong, durable, and is such that it does not necessitate any alterationof the car body in order to install. it.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description goes on.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in whichlike numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same: I

Figure l is an elevational view of a car body and sliding door, showing my improved invention associated therewith. I

Fig. 2 is a. section taken on thepl-ane of the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of F ig. 1.

4 is a .view like Fig. 1 showingthe retalner 1n the position it assumes when re tracted from the door.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal'section taken on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

F ig. 6 is .a view like Fig. 3 showing the retainer moved to inefi'ectlve position and the door swung away from the car'body'in order tofacilitate its opening. I

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates one side of a car body provided with an opening at 2, normally closed by a sliding door 3. In many cases, such doors are supported from hangers cooperative with their upper edges. As before intimated, and in accordance with my ideas, I supportthe door from its lower or bottom edge. Any suitable means may be employed for accomplishing this end. For the purpose, I have shown a plurality of flanged rollers 4, these being arranged in horizontal'alinement between vertical stop pieces 5 which the doorabuts and which serve to limit its: sliding movement in opposite directions. At this point, I may state that, if desired, the door may be equipped with a handle 6 and with a suitable locking means 7 which, as is obvious, is designed for cooperation with keepers or staples S on the stop pieces 5. By referring to Figs. 4c and 6, it will be seen that the upper edge of the door is detached from the car body so that the door can be swung to the angular position shown in Fig. 6 to overcome binding, caused from the aforesaid circumstances. By swinging the door to this position, it will be seen that it can be easily moved to a position to uncover the side 0 ening 2 to permit unloading of the car. Furthermore, if desired it can be on tirely removed by merely lifting it up and disengaging it from the supporting rollers &.

in order to hold the door in operative position against the car body, I make use of novel retainer which, as before stated, is retractable from the door to permit the latter to be moved away from the car body to facilitate opening or closing as the case may be. The retainer which I employ is preferably in the form of an angle iron 9, the same being substantially twice as long as the door so as to cover it when it is in open or closed position. This retainer could be slidably mounted if desired, but by preference, the horizontal flange 10 thereof is pivotally connected to the car body by means of hinges 11. The hinges are secured to the body in such a way that when the retainer is in operative position, the vertical flange 12 will swing down over the front face of the upper portion of the door as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, thus holding the door against accidental displacement, yet permitting free sliding thereof. In order that the retainer may be easily moved to ineffective position, it is equipped with a handle 13. Furthermore, in order to retain it in operative position, sui able locking means is employed. To this end, the vertical flange 12 is equipped at its ends with pivoted hasps 1a which cooperate with staples or keepers 15 carried by the stops 5, padlocks 16 being employed with this part as is usual.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the part 9 not only serves as retainer, but it has the additional function of providing a guide and a weather guard, thus protectingthe upper edge of the door against rotting.

Assuming that the door 3 cannot be easily opened because of the swollen sides of the car or because its easy opening is hampered by articles resting against its inner face, it will be seen that these circumstances can be easily overcome by removing the pad-locks 16, disengaging the hasps 14 from their keepers and swinging the retainer 9 upwardly on its hinges until it assumes a position somewhat like that indicated in Fig. i. The retainer 9 having been disengaged from the door, the latter can be moved to the angular position disclosed in Fig. 6 whereby any binding action will be relieved, permitting it to be moved to open or closed position as the case may be.

Vhile I have shown and described the invention as being adapted for use in connection with shipping cars, I wish it to be understood that it could be well used in connection with barns or for various other purposes.

A. careful consideration of the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings ought to be sufficient to enable a person skilled in the art to which this invention relates, to obtain a clear understanding of the same. Therefore, a more lengthy and detailed description is thought unnecessary.

Since probably the best results may be obtained with the construction and arrangement herein shown and described, the construction and arrangement is taken as a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, I wish it to be understood that various minor changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim 1. In combination, a car body provided in one side with a door-opening, a door for closing said opening, means cooperative with the bottom of the door for slidably supporting it, the upper end of the door being detached and freely movable away from the body, and a movably mounted combined weather-guard, guide and retainer cooperable with the upper edge of the door for normally retaining the latter in operative position and movable to a position to ermit re moval of the door from the car ody and the door-supporting means.

2. In combination, a car body provided in one side with a door-opening, a normally slidable sliding door for closing said opening, track means engaged by the lower edge of the door and forming the sole supporting means therefor, an angle iron constituting a retainer and guide for the door, means piv otally connecting one flange of said angle iron with the body above said door, the vertical flange thereof extending normally down over the upper portion of the-outer side of the door to hold it in place and to permit free sliding thereof, said vertical flange being capable of being swung up and clear of the door to permit the upper edge of the latter to be swung away from the car body to facilitate opening or removal from the supporting means, and means for locking said angle iron in operative position.

3. In combination with a car body having a side opening and vertically disposed stops on opposite sides of said opening; of a door for closing the opening, means on said car body and cooperative with the lower edge of the door for supporting it, permitting it to be slid longitudinally to open and close the opening, and also permitting the door to be swung away from the car body to permit reface of the door, hasps pivotally connected moval thereof or to facilitate opening, an with said iron at the opposite ends thereof, 10 angle iron, hinges connected with one flange and staples on said stops with which said thereof and with said car body to pivotally hasps co-act.

5 support said angle iron with said flange dis- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set posed horizontally and with the remaining my hand. flange disposed vertically and extending down over and normally engaging the outer FRANCESGO COPPOLA. 

